About NHS of South Buffalo

Founded in 1979, Neighborhood Housing Services has spent decades working for the people of Buffalo.

The NHS of South Buffalo mission is "to aid and assist in the preservation, stabilization, and revitalization of economic and aesthetic conditions of residential and commercial zones as to promote a higher quality of life and social existence."

As time passes, we have grown to meet the needs of our community. Our staff has grown from three and a half employees to 31 people and in 2006 we moved part of our team into an auxiliary office on the upper side of the city for our expanding weatherization services. For more highlights in our history, check out our timeline here.

We are funded by grants from our sponsor organization, NeighborWorks, and various government entities at both the state and federal levels

History

NHS has been helping out the South Buffalo neighborhood for a long time and we've gotten a lot done. Following are some of the highlights; for a pictoral timeline please visit our site on dipity

1979: Founded by a city wide task force, NHS of South Buffalo was one of the seven original Neighborhood Housing Services organizations in the city.

1980: Completion of the first home rehabilitation project funded with our loans. The maximum loan amount at the time was $6,000; it's currently $20,000!

1983:Shyrl Duderwick became Executive Director. Previously she had worked as our administrative assistant for three years.

1985: Purchased our first computer and a dot matrix printer. Using our new technology, we collaborated with the City Building Inspectors to schedule 3,467 house inspections!

1989: Began the conversion of an historic firehouse into six apartment units. The project was completed on schedule and under budget!

1997: Completed our first Lead Identification Assessment, the first step towards removing lead from Western New York homes. We were the first WNY non-profit to be licensed by the EPA and the NYS Health Department.

1999:Weatherized our first house after taking over the weatherization program from the city.. Over the years we have weatherized more than 5,100 residences throughout the city.

2000: Seneca Street Revitilization Project began

2006: We began our six-year partnership with WorldChangers, an opportunity for young adults to "experience the needs and heartbeat of the city while learning about its history and culture". Through the years, our collaboration resulted in dozens of homes being rehabbed throughout Buffalo. Check out our great time-lapse video!

2008: South Park Avenue Revitilization Project began

2009: We began our three-year collaboration with AmeriCorp VISTA program, bringing much-needed assistance to both staff and residents of Buffalo.

2009: Received American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding of $5.4 million